Ballast float for aircraft



Jan. 13.1525 4 T522946 DURR BALLAST FLOAT FOR AIRCRAFT Filed July 2. 1920 Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

LUDWIG Dll'RR, OF FRIEDRIGHSHAFEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM: LUFT- SGHIFFBAU ZEPIPELIN GESELLSCHAFT MIT BIERQCHRANKTER HAFTUN G, OF FRIED- RICHSHAFEN, GERMANY.

Application filed July 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUDWIG Dr'iRR a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Friedrichshafen a/B., Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballast Floats for Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ballast water scoops for aircraft and it is an object of my invention to provide a more reliable and useful device of the kind aforesaid than has hitherto been available.

Ballast water scoops -as hitherto used are hollow cylindrical bodies which not only augment the resistance offered to the propulsion of the craft, but also frequently fail to take in all the water required, inasmuch as their inlet opening is not sure to be di-',.

rooted in thedirection of travel.

My invention is intended to obviate these drawbacks by the special construction given to the scoop .or bucket to be lowered and which will render it possible to cause said bucket or the like, by means of, or better, by reason of the mutual movements effected by aircraft and water, to automatically and reliably fill itself, regardless of whether the aircraft be flying at great speed, or whether it be slowly gliding along, or else has come to an enti e stop above a sheet of flowing water.

The object above specified is attained, in accordance with the invention, by the bucket,

in consequence of its shape and the arrange.

ment of guide planes, being enabled to adjust itself in conformity with the direction in which the craft flies, so that by these means it will combine slight resistance to flight with good filling capacity.

The ballast scoop according to my invention has the form of a stream-lined hollow body provided with steering 0r damping surfaces or guide planes which may be adjustable. To facilitate the filling operation, a draw tube, the inlet of which is inclined in the direction of the flight, while its outlet projects into the upper portion of the filling chamber, extends from the said filling chamber outwards.

Two embodiments of the subject matter of my invention are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a glider-shaped ballast scoop.

1920. Serial No. 393,756.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, a

denotes the outer skin or envelope of the scoop shaped to resemble a glider. The said skin is provided with .a link 6 which by means of a rope 0 serves to connect the scoop to the aircraft, (not shown). Within the hull of the scoop there is formed a container e for the water, which is to' serve as ballast, by means of two partitions d. By aid of an ascending tube f and an air exhaust pipe 9, there is established the communication with the water or air surrounding the scoop. The ascending tube f is adapted to draw up water through its lower end at the point denoted by it. While the scoop. glides along the surface of the water, being trailed by the aircraft. The pressure above the atmosphere created by the movement of the scoop relatively to the water level forces the water up through the ascending tube 7 and through an outlet 71 into the container 6, while the air displaced in consequence escapes through the tube 9. The outer skin axis in addition provided with keel fins 7a and damping surfaces Z, for the purpose of always maintaining the scoop in its proper position relatively necting rope c is attached. The ballast chamber e is separated from the rest of the internal space by partitions d. A conduit m serves as the draw tube, having its inlet at n at the .end of the outer skin a, and where it is somewhat enlarged so as to resemble a funnel. This conduit primarily runs straight along, then bends slightly upwards, and delivers the water through the outlet a into theballast chamber e. Here again the dynamic pressure, acting on the front face -22,

of the tubular conduit, effects the taking-in of the ballast water. As in the first example, a connecting tube 9 serves to balance the air pressure.-

The guide surfaces are preferably constructed so as to allow of adjustment to enconstruction and configuration, shown and descri d, for obvious modifications willoccur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

:1 '1. Ballast 'water scoop for aircraft com-,

I saidhull.

prising in combination, a hollow streamlined hull, an inlet port; facing the direction of ,travel and an air vent in the upper part of 2. Ballast water scoop for aircraft comprising in combination a hollow streamlined hull, steering and 'damping surfaces ar-v ranged on said hull, an inlet port facing the direction of travel and an air vent in the upper part of said hull. v 3. Ballast water scoop for aircraft comprising in combination a hollow streamlined hull, adjustable steering and damping surfaces,' arranged on said hull, an inlet port facing the direction of travel and an air vent in the upper part of said hull.

4. Ballast water scoop for aircraft comprising in combination, a hollow streamlined hull, rope fastenin means near the middle of said hull, an i et port facing the direction of travel, a tube extending from'said inlet port to a point near the middle of said hull and an air vent in said hull in line with Y and somewhat to the rear of said fastenin means.

5. Ballast water scoop for aircraft com prising in combination, a hollow streamlined hull, rope fastening means near the middle of said hull, partitions subdividing said hull into a middle section and two end sections,-

a tube extending from the open end of the front section through the adjoining partition into said middle section and an air vent in said hull in line with and somewhat to the LUDWIG DURR. 

